Pennells pays customers for bringing in plastic pots for recycling

This is due to their ambitious campaign of paying customers 5p credit for each pot returned.

Customers at the business’s outlets got £6,825’s worth of plants in August.

As part of their drive to reduce their environmental impact, the company invested over £20,000 across their sites.

The investment meant Pennells could cope with the high demand from customers who wanted to see the plastic recycled.

Managing Director Will Pennell commented: “It’s our duty as garden centres to lead the environmental charge. This is why we decided to have this campaign to encourage the recycling of pots.

“Our customers did not let us down. I was expecting approximately 30-40,000 pots, but to receive four times that amount is staggering.”

The buying back of pots for credit has stopped. But all three garden centres will continue to allow customers to bring their plastic pots.

Pennells has also moved from sachet sauces to pump dispensers in the restaurant to reduce their plastic waste. They’re now looking at recycling compost bags and encouraging customers to use peat free compost.